kab:JohnBigBootay: That said I find cheering for corporations an extremely odd activity.

Have you ever seen how quickly the white knighters around here rush to the defense of CEO's whenever salary is a topic?

Corporatism has replaced religion for an embarassingly large number of people.

bah. you can go the whole post-modern psych-lit analysis of human nature if you like. maybe it's all a factor. but, it may be the case that people like their gadgets. they want their gadgets to be the best. when a gadget maker gets rewarded for his gadgetry, the people get excited because that increases the chance this good gadget maker will continue to make better gadgets, thus resulting in people having better gadgets. conversely, when a crappy gadget maker gets rewarded for his gadgets, that's sad, because that means the future of gadgets will probably be crappy.

pute kisses like a man:kab: JohnBigBootay: That said I find cheering for corporations an extremely odd activity.

Have you ever seen how quickly the white knighters around here rush to the defense of CEO's whenever salary is a topic?

Corporatism has replaced religion for an embarassingly large number of people.

bah. you can go the whole post-modern psych-lit analysis of human nature if you like. maybe it's all a factor. but, it may be the case that people like their gadgets. they want their gadgets to be the best. when a gadget maker gets rewarded for his gadgetry, the people get excited because that increases the chance this good gadget maker will continue to make better gadgets, thus resulting in people having better gadgets. conversely, when a crappy gadget maker gets rewarded for his gadgets, that's sad, because that means the future of gadgets will probably be crappy.

1. The nature of technology means that even if your gadget is "the best" when you bought it, it will soon be second-best, then third-best, etc., ad infinitum.2. Your last sentence implies that companies copy what sells. But if people "want their gadgets to be the best," they how would a crappy gadget maker get rewarded?3. Your shift key is broken.

Not quite. It's almost an entirely one way hate, directed towards Apple. A better example would be Netscape vs MS in the 90s. The people championing MS then are the same people championing Samsung now.

Granted, Apple has bigger pockets than Netscape's investors, but it's still a debate for the right to copy and give away to retain marketshare vs a the right to create and own a unique design array.

Mitch Taylor's Bro:pute kisses like a man: kab: JohnBigBootay: That said I find cheering for corporations an extremely odd activity.

Have you ever seen how quickly the white knighters around here rush to the defense of CEO's whenever salary is a topic?

Corporatism has replaced religion for an embarassingly large number of people.

bah. you can go the whole post-modern psych-lit analysis of human nature if you like. maybe it's all a factor. but, it may be the case that people like their gadgets. they want their gadgets to be the best. when a gadget maker gets rewarded for his gadgetry, the people get excited because that increases the chance this good gadget maker will continue to make better gadgets, thus resulting in people having better gadgets. conversely, when a crappy gadget maker gets rewarded for his gadgets, that's sad, because that means the future of gadgets will probably be crappy.

1. The nature of technology means that even if your gadget is "the best" when you bought it, it will soon be second-best, then third-best, etc., ad infinitum.2. Your last sentence implies that companies copy what sells. But if people "want their gadgets to be the best," they how would a crappy gadget maker get rewarded?3. Your shift key is broken.

really? did I piss on your favorite product? I don't give a fark about either product. add some subjectivity to the notion of 'best' and i think your first two problems will be solved. regarding your third one, so sorry.

pute kisses like a man:Mitch Taylor's Bro: pute kisses like a man: kab: JohnBigBootay: That said I find cheering for corporations an extremely odd activity.

Have you ever seen how quickly the white knighters around here rush to the defense of CEO's whenever salary is a topic?

Corporatism has replaced religion for an embarassingly large number of people.

bah. you can go the whole post-modern psych-lit analysis of human nature if you like. maybe it's all a factor. but, it may be the case that people like their gadgets. they want their gadgets to be the best. when a gadget maker gets rewarded for his gadgetry, the people get excited because that increases the chance this good gadget maker will continue to make better gadgets, thus resulting in people having better gadgets. conversely, when a crappy gadget maker gets rewarded for his gadgets, that's sad, because that means the future of gadgets will probably be crappy.

1. The nature of technology means that even if your gadget is "the best" when you bought it, it will soon be second-best, then third-best, etc., ad infinitum.2. Your last sentence implies that companies copy what sells. But if people "want their gadgets to be the best," they how would a crappy gadget maker get rewarded?3. Your shift key is broken.

really? did I piss on your favorite product? I don't give a fark about either product. add some subjectivity to the notion of 'best' and i think your first two problems will be solved. regarding your third one, so sorry.

Since there was no mention of a product in any part of that post, I don't think you pissed on anything. Except logic.

I'm excited for the new Nexus shizz to be announced on Monday but it sounds like Verizon (my carrier) and maybe other NA carriers might not get it until December or so. I've been holding off upgrading for a few months so another few is no big deal, but I've been so impressed with our Nexus 7 I'm ready to have that in a phone form factor plz.

/bought my girlfriend an iphone 5 with my upgrade, her upgrade is next week and i'ma steal it

What I like about Android is that it's easy to develop for. Free tools, an open platform, and a large ecosystem of libraries, sample code, and experienced developers to draw on. Add to that the development of ever-more-powerful hardware like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and you've got a winner.

Give it another quarter. It's not surprising that Samsung shipped the most phones in a quarter when the S3 was released, and the quarter when everyone knew a new iPhone was about to be released. Similarly, go back two quarters, and Samsung's numbers aren't nearly as good.Basically, with companies releasing at different times, it makes no sense to compare numbers on anything less than an annual basis (and more appropriate would be simply to compare numbers sold by generation of product).

jjorsett:What I like about Android is that it's easy to develop for. Free tools, an open platform, and a large ecosystem of libraries, sample code, and experienced developers to draw on. Add to that the development of ever-more-powerful hardware like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and you've got a winner.

Lost Thought 00:They've done a fabulous job with their marketing and trying to pidgeon hole apple into the "clueless hipster" demographic. Decent product doesn't hurt, either

I do wonder how effective Samsung's recent marketing campaign has been. For years Apple cornered the market on the whole "douchebag marketing" shtick, but somehow Samsung has one-upped them with their most recent campaign.

They must hire actors based strictly on a high face-punchability factor.

digistil:Oh come on, you're as much of a Samsung troll on Fark as AVG (Samsung pays him btw; I assume they pay you too).

/You're rational on anything non-Samsung, I will admit.

Are you talking to me or the other guy? As far as I can recall that's the first time I ever mentioned samsung. It may as well say 'acme' on the damn thing for all I care. And that goes double for every electronic device I own. Samsung - like apple - has been releasing some very nice hardware lately but I have zero loyalty to any of them. It's all just crap I use to work or play with. Products. I give them money, in exchange they give me toys and tools - as soon as the transaction is completed I consider us even.

digistil:jjorsett: What I like about Android is that it's easy to develop for. Free tools, an open platform, and a large ecosystem of libraries, sample code, and experienced developers to draw on. Add to that the development of ever-more-powerful hardware like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and you've got a winner.

Fish in a Barrel:digistil: jjorsett: What I like about Android is that it's easy to develop for. Free tools, an open platform, and a large ecosystem of libraries, sample code, and experienced developers to draw on. Add to that the development of ever-more-powerful hardware like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and you've got a winner.

NotSureIfSerious.gif

What part of that do you have a problem with?

The parts where it's easier, more open, larger eco system to develop with (all of which I've found to be the opposite).

digistil:jjorsett: What I like about Android is that it's easy to develop for. Free tools, an open platform, and a large ecosystem of libraries, sample code, and experienced developers to draw on. Add to that the development of ever-more-powerful hardware like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and you've got a winner.

digistil:Fish in a Barrel: digistil: jjorsett: What I like about Android is that it's easy to develop for. Free tools, an open platform, and a large ecosystem of libraries, sample code, and experienced developers to draw on. Add to that the development of ever-more-powerful hardware like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and you've got a winner.

NotSureIfSerious.gif

What part of that do you have a problem with?

The parts where it's easier, more open, larger eco system to develop with (all of which I've found to be the opposite).

JohnBigBootay:digistil: Oh come on, you're as much of a Samsung troll on Fark as AVG (Samsung pays him btw; I assume they pay you too).

/You're rational on anything non-Samsung, I will admit.

Are you talking to me or the other guy? As far as I can recall that's the first time I ever mentioned samsung. It may as well say 'acme' on the damn thing for all I care. And that goes double for every electronic device I own. Samsung - like apple - has been releasing some very nice hardware lately but I have zero loyalty to any of them. It's all just crap I use to work or play with. Products. I give them money, in exchange they give me toys and tools - as soon as the transaction is completed I consider us even.

I was talking to you. You're (honestly) great on Fark, but when it comes to bashing Apple for the presumed benefit of Kindle or Samsung, it's like you become a different person. Perhaps your posts get tangled with the people that Samsung pays (very well) to post here (the only company besides MS that does that, FWIW).

digistil:Fish in a Barrel: digistil: jjorsett: What I like about Android is that it's easy to develop for. Free tools, an open platform, and a large ecosystem of libraries, sample code, and experienced developers to draw on. Add to that the development of ever-more-powerful hardware like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and you've got a winner.

NotSureIfSerious.gif

What part of that do you have a problem with?

The parts where it's easier, more open, larger eco system to develop with (all of which I've found to be the opposite).

A) jjorsett didn't make a comparison to iOS; he only explained why he enjoys using Android.B) How is Android NOT more open than iOS? You can build the whole thing from source.

digistil:I was talking to you. You're (honestly) great on Fark, but when it comes to bashing Apple for the presumed benefit of Kindle or Samsung, it's like you become a different person. Perhaps your posts get tangled with the people that Samsung pays (very well) to post here (the only company besides MS that does that, FWIW).

Well, thank you I think.

I get a little snarky about apple on occasion - as I would any frontrunner of the moment - but I mostly give a shiat. I buy whatever I like. Apple makes some great shiat. I just think a lot of other people do too. Right now I use a samsung phone, an ipod nano, and a kindle reader. I think they are each the best at what they do for my usage preferences - hell, that's why I picked them! I support iphones and macbooks at work on an almost daily basis. They are fine. I can afford to buy them if I chose but usually choose something else. let's face it, hardware is becoming secondary. Once you have committed to an ecosystem and live with it a couple three years you are less and less likely to jump to the other side.

digistil:JohnBigBootay: digistil: Oh come on, you're as much of a Samsung troll on Fark as AVG (Samsung pays him btw; I assume they pay you too).

/You're rational on anything non-Samsung, I will admit.

Are you talking to me or the other guy? As far as I can recall that's the first time I ever mentioned samsung. It may as well say 'acme' on the damn thing for all I care. And that goes double for every electronic device I own. Samsung - like apple - has been releasing some very nice hardware lately but I have zero loyalty to any of them. It's all just crap I use to work or play with. Products. I give them money, in exchange they give me toys and tools - as soon as the transaction is completed I consider us even.

I was talking to you. You're (honestly) great on Fark, but when it comes to bashing Apple for the presumed benefit of Kindle or Samsung, it's like you become a different person. Perhaps your posts get tangled with the people that Samsung pays (very well) to post here (the only company besides MS that does that, FWIW).

shiat....sign me up for that gig....I'll say your product is awesome if you pay me

JohnBigBootay:Please. Samsung has sold a goddam gazillion phones. I even have one and I love the damn thing. That said I find cheering for corporations an extremely odd activity.

Just goes to show you that most farkers don't have a fark'n clue about corporations. Samsung is a huge multi-national company with deep ties in oil, shipbuilding, chemicals and a dozen other businesses (some of them rather sketchy). The company has been charged and fined with price fixing and has had rather sketchy labor history including employing children.

The fact that people get so emotionally invested in their cell phone brand of choice is hilarious to me.

I wouldn't say I'm invested in my cell phone brand of choice (I dig HTC, but I'm not married to them or anything), but I just absolutely, thoroughly detest Apple. I hate that their design philosophy is all about limiting their users, not empowering them, and is about making an attractive product more than a functional one. I hate the patronizing attitude that they take through their App Store process (and the fact that the App Store is the only way to get apps onto your device short of hacking it), dictating what is and is not acceptable for their users to do. I hate that they choose to abuse the broken patent system to attempt to drive competitors out of business. I hate that they have legions of fans who will bay for your blood if you suggest that, perhaps, the latest iProduct is not the best device in its class. But most of all, I hate that their approach has proven so successful that it has influenced other major industry players to do the exact same thing (*coughMicrosoftcough*).

The fact that people get so emotionally invested in their cell phone brand of choice is hilarious to me.

I wouldn't say I'm invested in my cell phone brand of choice (I dig HTC, but I'm not married to them or anything), but I just absolutely, thoroughly detest Apple. I hate that their design philosophy is all about limiting their users, not empowering them, and is about making an attractive product more than a functional one. I hate the patronizing attitude that they take through their App Store process (and the fact that the App Store is the only way to get apps onto your device short of hacking it), dictating what is and is not acceptable for their users to do. I hate that they choose to abuse the broken patent system to attempt to drive competitors out of business. I hate that they have legions of fans who will bay for your blood if you suggest that, perhaps, the latest iProduct is not the best device in its class. But most of all, I hate that their approach has proven so successful that it has influenced other major industry players to do the exact same thing (*coughMicrosoftcough*).

As I understand it, Microsoft Windows 8 will only work on a specific brand of chips. That is completely fabbergastable. But I guess it does sort of approximate Apple's approach.

digistil:Not quite. It's almost an entirely one way hate, directed towards Apple. A better example would be Netscape vs MS in the 90s. The people championing MS then are the same people championing Samsung now.

I think you have it backwards. Apple is now the behemoth that is just resting on its laurels, forcing all its customers to buy their charger (and then buy another one in a couple years), just as an example. Samsung is the up and comer in this market and changed the game, much like Netscape was in the old days.

Nexzus:The S3's a good phone, but it can be annoying to use..../And the stock keyboard is shiat, too.

I have never seen that screen but I use Gmail and K9. And Swiftkey. That's what I am really digging about the phone (and probably any Android device) - just get another piece of software if you don't like something.

Pertifly:digistil: Not quite. It's almost an entirely one way hate, directed towards Apple. A better example would be Netscape vs MS in the 90s. The people championing MS then are the same people championing Samsung now.

I think you have it backwards. Apple is now the behemoth that is just resting on its laurels, forcing all its customers to buy their charger (and then buy another one in a couple years), just as an example. Samsung is the up and comer in this market and changed the game, much like Netscape was in the old days.

So Samsung is going to march steadfastly forward in making its UI progressively uglier and harder to use, and eventually cave under the monetary might of Apple?

In truth, the two situations really can't be compared. Apple's definitely a lazy loser who steals the work of others, traps consumers into a proprietary trap and trickles out "improvements" that are commonly found in other products months (if not years) prior. However, they do not control the entire ecosystem as MS did back in ye olde dayes. Samsung is a corporate megalith. They are about as scrappy of an underdog as Mohammad Ali. Apple couldn't bury Samsung if their company depended on it.

I guess i was leading the parade. I got a Galaxy S3 when 14 people out of 14 people surveyed during the summer told me "No get a Galaxy instead" when asked if i should wait for the i5 iphone when it were to come out.

digistil:jjorsett: What I like about Android is that it's easy to develop for. Free tools, an open platform, and a large ecosystem of libraries, sample code, and experienced developers to draw on. Add to that the development of ever-more-powerful hardware like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and you've got a winner.

NotSureIfSerious.gif

If we were to do a side by side comparison of android vs ios I don't think it would be all that lopsided for apple.Primary development language: While neither language is exactly great, Objective C is a turd compared to java.IDE: Xcode has its advantages, but when using it I find myself missing a lot of intellij's features. But I'm biased toward intellij(because it rocks)Documentation: My apple experience is limited, but the little I have seen makes me give them the win on thisLibraries: Not sure, I'm guessing it's evenish.Openness: NotSureIfSerious.gifFreeness(as in free beer): NotSureIfSerious.gifHardware: Apple all the way. Fragmentation and allExperienced developers: Every java monkey out there can become an android monkey. Just need incentive.Fat walleted customers: Apple +2000. Unfortunately this is the only one that really matters. It's why people need to learn a horrible language like Objective C.

Jiro Dreams Of McRibs:As I understand it, Microsoft Windows 8 will only work on a specific brand of chips. That is completely fabbergastable. But I guess it does sort of approximate Apple's approach.

Not quite. There is one edition of Windows 8, called Windows 8 RT, that only runs on ARM hardware and is just as locked down as iOS (can only be purchased with a new computer, can only install apps from the Microsoft Store, etc.). All other editions of Windows 8 run on traditional Intel and Intel-compatible hardware and can run any third-party apps, just like Windows 7 and earlier (although you're still stuck with that horrible "Metro" interface, or whatever they're calling it now).

I think Apple can kind of put the blame on themselves for this one. They gave Samsung a lot of publicity because of the lawsuits.

"Wait.. you mean to tell me there is a phone out there that not only has a lot of features that iPhones have, but it has more and it'll cost me less? Thanks for the heads up, Apple."

Now that Apple is getting to the point where it is a "me, too" company with the 7" tablets (something Jobs was vehemently against), I think they are going to lose their gains in marketshare that Jobs helped create. Hell... they've already lost a lot since Android started becoming a household name.

digistil:jjorsett: What I like about Android is that it's easy to develop for. Free tools, an open platform, and a large ecosystem of libraries, sample code, and experienced developers to draw on. Add to that the development of ever-more-powerful hardware like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and you've got a winner.

NotSureIfSerious.gif

I'm completely serious. Just built an Android app for the military. In doing so, I looked back over the history of Android and the devices it runs on, and it's like watching a rolling snowball, getting bigger and faster with amazing speed. The software platform is evolving at a breakneck pace, and the hardware is doing the same. There are certain drawbacks such as a multitude of screen sizes, OS versions, and feature sets, which makes it tricky to get an app running on all possible devices, but it's a price I'm more than willing to pay for the speed with which Android's capabilities are growing.

They didn't claim to set a units sold record, or a profit record. If those things don't matter to you, then the story shouldn't matter to you.

This.

I have no alliance to any side. All I have to say is that back in the 90's I worked for US Robotics. Just before the sellout to 3COM they made the announcement that they had shipped Xmillion units of modems, I guess to make them more appealing to 3COM. Come to find out that yeah they shipped a record amount of units, but they shipped them from the plants in Skokie and Morton Grove to the plant in Mount Prospect. 3COM didn't realize that they had been hornswoggled until after the deal went down and they found millions of units of modems packed in the Mount Prospect plant.

competition is always a good thing, that said samsung having a monopoly on android phones in the next 5 years is hunky dory? all the other android phone manufacturers are slipping, not even Nokia is safe, and part of this is samsung having vertical integration on their manufacturing - they can control the entire android market without even having to own it all

Flint Ironstag:Especially when the "cheap knock off" has better spec, more features and less restricted operation....

Biggest difference is the giant screen. Got a friend who was looking forward to getting a bigger screen on his iPhone, and while it's a great phone, the increase in size of his screen was just a tiny bit.Once you put a Otter Box on the thing, it ends up being a bit bigger than seen in the "your thumb goes from here... to there..." commercials.

The iPhone has a great and bright screen, and a great camera. So, it's not a loss. And they're painlessly easy to work.

I've learned that if you break the screen on the S3 like I did, it's twice as expensive to replace the thing as a simple cracked glass screen on the iPhone.

But at the moment, I'm lusting over the Note II, because I have big hands and(I'll say this slowly for the ladies)MY thumb goes from here... to there...

SVenus:Biggest difference is the giant screen. Got a friend who was looking forward to getting a bigger screen on his iPhone, and while it's a great phone, the increase in size of his screen was just a tiny bit.Once you put a Otter Box on the thing, it ends up being a bit bigger than seen in the "your thumb goes from here... to there..." commercials.

The iPhone has a great and bright screen, and a great camera. So, it's not a loss. And they're painlessly easy to work.

I have to say, pixel for pixel, the retina display is the best--nothing else comes close IMO, and the main reason for this is simply that there's less glass in front. This makes it more closely resemble print than anything else, and there doesn't seem to be much compromise in durability because it seems to perform okay in scratch/drop tests. All other phones look like the actual display is "behind" something, while with the iPhone it's right there.

That said, the screen is still too small for my tastes. Somehow it barely feels any larger than the 4S. A 4.5"+ retina display would probably be pretty amazing.

Holly crap! Samsung's phones have rounded corners. How could the innovative genii at Apple who innovatively created corners that were not razor sharp allow Samsung to steal such incredible innovation as that from them?

/never met an Apple developer that wasn't a 3rd grader with an undeserved attitude

Teabagger takes government handouts to pay the bills. I love hypocrisy

Wow, that wounds me to the quick. Too bad for your narrative that I built it for free because the end users are buddies of mine and needed this for their volunteer mission to Afghanistan. And hopefully it will find some use by other military members as well, once my friends have tried it out in the field. Keep hope alive, though, maybe that all-consuming hate that you lefties use as your primary fuel source will one day find a useful outlet.

jjorsett:intelligent comment below: jjorsett: I'm completely serious. Just built an Android app for the military.

Teabagger takes government handouts to pay the bills. I love hypocrisy

Wow, that wounds me to the quick. Too bad for your narrative that I built it for free because the end users are buddies of mine and needed this for their volunteer mission to Afghanistan. And hopefully it will find some use by other military members as well, once my friends have tried it out in the field. Keep hope alive, though, maybe that all-consuming hate that you lefties use as your primary fuel source will one day find a useful outlet.

[i49.tinypic.com image 180x250]

That paragraph is such a pack of lies, it boggles the mind that you felt you needed to go there to maintain your "cred".

Yankees Team Gynecologist:jjorsett: Too bad for your narrative that I built it for free because the end users are buddies of mine and needed this for their volunteer mission to Afghanistan.

This Palin statement makes no sense, unless you weren't talking about the military at all but rather a church missionary group or something.

Oh no. The MILITARY is doing volunteer missions in Afghanistan. He "just made" an app for them. No need for it to be okay'd by the military, and the military accepts free apps all the time, with no review necessary! They know he is COOL...

jjorsett:I hear it cited as one of the reasons that developing for the iPhone is supposed to be easier than for Android. Fewer configurations to have to worry about and adapt to.

Sure, that's great for iOS (although I imagine this advantage has been significantly eroded because of the tablets and iPhone 5). But you hear so much whining about fragmentation in Android that you'd think it's a problem unique to that environment in all of the industry. It's like none of these people have ever had to deal with a resizable dialog or a farking webpage. If you're writing GUIs then handling dynamic layouts is a very fundamental skill, and dealing with different OS versions is a simple matter of determining which APIs you'll be using and targeting the earliest supported version. biatching about basic stuff like this reminds me of CS students whining about having to manage memory in C/C++. They're the complaints of amateurs.

mediablitz:Yankees Team Gynecologist: jjorsett: Too bad for your narrative that I built it for free because the end users are buddies of mine and needed this for their volunteer mission to Afghanistan.

This Palin statement makes no sense, unless you weren't talking about the military at all but rather a church missionary group or something.

Oh no. The MILITARY is doing volunteer missions in Afghanistan. He "just made" an app for them. No need for it to be okay'd by the military, and the military accepts free apps all the time, with no review necessary! They know he is COOL...

What a farking moron.

---

It's the right-wing way nowadays:

1. Have no idea how X works2. Invent imaginary world where X works how you wish it does, according to what you feel (not know)3. Make comments, and vote, based on the premise of #2

I text. I don't even make phone calls. I've never been struck by the urge to google things whist I'm out and about. Not being a directionally-challenged learned-helpless idiot, I've never needed GPS, so it's off. I don't facebook or twitter so I don't feel adrift in a loveless universe if I can't tell people my "status" every 10 minutes. So I have basically no use for any of the "smart" features of a "smart" phone.

The RRP for both the 16GB iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII in New Zealand is $1,049.

1. Why would I pay over $1,000 for a PHONE2. No price fixing going on there, I'm sure. It's just a coincidence the RRP is identical.

jjorsett:I hear it cited as one of the reasons that developing for the iPhone is supposed to be easier than for Android. Fewer configurations to have to worry about and adapt to.

The whole way that Android apps are designed is that dialogues are size independent. You, as the developer don't even have to know what resolution you're dealing with, if you don't want to. This does mean that upfront, you have to think some more about your application than just specifying x,y coordinates. The problem is that once iOS got the longer screen of the iPhone 5, they had the same problem. They couldn't pull a trick like doubling pixels (as they did for the iPad). They had to implement something very similar to Android in terms of resolution independence.

This does mean that you probably want to test it on a few devices of different size and shape, but you certainly don't need to test it on each one. And there's nothing revolutionary about this. Microsoft have something very similar to this in XAML which is used in WPF and Silverlight and guess what? Developers cope with it just fine.

farkeruk:jjorsett: I hear it cited as one of the reasons that developing for the iPhone is supposed to be easier than for Android. Fewer configurations to have to worry about and adapt to.

The whole way that Android apps are designed is that dialogues are size independent. You, as the developer don't even have to know what resolution you're dealing with, if you don't want to. This does mean that upfront, you have to think some more about your application than just specifying x,y coordinates. The problem is that once iOS got the longer screen of the iPhone 5, they had the same problem. They couldn't pull a trick like doubling pixels (as they did for the iPad). They had to implement something very similar to Android in terms of resolution independence.

This does mean that you probably want to test it on a few devices of different size and shape, but you certainly don't need to test it on each one. And there's nothing revolutionary about this. Microsoft have something very similar to this in XAML which is used in WPF and Silverlight and guess what? Developers cope with it just fine.

So, in summary: Android fragmentation is a lying fanboy whine.

I know that I tested mine on several different Android devices (Nexus 7, HTC Evo 3D, and HTC Incredible, plus a few different virtual ones) and ended up having to redo the layout a couple of times in order to make sure it would work on a wide range of screen sizes. Although it's possible to alter the layout dynamically according to the device's characteristics, I didn't feel like going to the trouble of doing that on this go around until I got some feedback from the users. Depending on the devices they choose to run on and what features, if any, they want added, I might go to the additional trouble. I also ran into a little difficulty with the Nexus 7 until I discovered that I had to target the build to an earlier version of Android before the Nexus 7 would let me have an Options Menu. So there's a certain amount of tinkering that has to be done to accommodate the variety of devices, but well worth it.

mediablitz:jjorsett: intelligent comment below: jjorsett: I'm completely serious. Just built an Android app for the military.

Teabagger takes government handouts to pay the bills. I love hypocrisy

Wow, that wounds me to the quick. Too bad for your narrative that I built it for free because the end users are buddies of mine and needed this for their volunteer mission to Afghanistan. And hopefully it will find some use by other military members as well, once my friends have tried it out in the field. Keep hope alive, though, maybe that all-consuming hate that you lefties use as your primary fuel source will one day find a useful outlet.

[i49.tinypic.com image 180x250]

That paragraph is such a pack of lies, it boggles the mind that you felt you needed to go there to maintain your "cred".

Go ahead, point us to the "app" and prove me wrong.

Are you actually stupid enough to install an app that some stranger points you to? Wait, I withdraw the question. Of course you are.

Just bought an S3 tonight. (My old LG flip-phone was 6 years old and falling apart at the hinge) Looked at the Note 2, but it was a little bigger than I'd want to put in a pocket, and I'd rather get a full size tablet for tablet stuff.

jjorsett:I know that I tested mine on several different Android devices (Nexus 7, HTC Evo 3D, and HTC Incredible, plus a few different virtual ones) and ended up having to redo the layout a couple of times in order to make sure it would work on a wide range of screen sizes. Although it's possible to alter the layout dynamically according to the device's characteristics, I didn't feel like going to the trouble of doing that on this go around until I got some feedback from the users. Depending on the devices they choose to run on and what features, if any, they want added, I might go to the additional trouble. I also ran into a little difficulty with the Nexus 7 until I discovered that I had to target the build to an earlier version of Android before the Nexus 7 would let me have an Options Menu. So there's a certain amount of tinkering that has to be done to accommodate the variety of devices, but well worth it.

I'm not saying that getting the layout right isn't more effort than just using points on the screen. It's that Apple's "points on the screen" was a short term approach and was going to break the minute that they couldn't double or quadruple the resolution. Everyone who wrote apps for the iPhone 4S (unless they'd use some sort of resolution-independence library) either had to redo the layout for the iPhone 5, or have users with black borders.

>>JohnBigBootay: Please. Samsung has sold a goddam gazillion phones. I even have one and I love the damn thing. That said I find cheering for corporations an extremely odd activity.

>gingerjet:Just goes to show you that most farkers don't have a fark'n clue about corporations. Samsung is a huge multi-national company with deep ties in oil, shipbuilding, chemicals and a dozen other businesses (some of them rather sketchy). The company has been charged and fined with price fixing and has had rather sketchy labor history including employing children.

But since its not Apple - that makes Samsung just hunky dory.~~I got to this point and had to skip ahead to comment. How many more people are going to read stuff into JohnBigBootay's comment that simply isn't there? Hilarious to watch the total derp pile up.

However, in terms of TOTAL DERP FOR ONE COMMENT, pute kisses like a man's reply to Mitch Taylor's Bro is without peer:

>>Mitch Taylor's Bro:1. The nature of technology means that even if your gadget is "the best" when you bought it, it will soon be second-best, then third-best, etc., ad infinitum.2. Your last sentence implies that companies copy what sells. But if people "want their gadgets to be the best," they how would a crappy gadget maker get rewarded?3. Your shift key is broken.

>pute kisses like a man: really? did I piss on your favorite product? I don't give a fark about either product. add some subjectivity to the notion of 'best' and i think your first two problems will be solved. regarding your third one, so sorry.

Yankees Team Gynecologist:SVenus: Biggest difference is the giant screen. Got a friend who was looking forward to getting a bigger screen on his iPhone, and while it's a great phone, the increase in size of his screen was just a tiny bit.Once you put a Otter Box on the thing, it ends up being a bit bigger than seen in the "your thumb goes from here... to there..." commercials.

The iPhone has a great and bright screen, and a great camera. So, it's not a loss. And they're painlessly easy to work.

I have to say, pixel for pixel, the retina display is the best--nothing else comes close IMO, and the main reason for this is simply that there's less glass in front. This makes it more closely resemble print than anything else, and there doesn't seem to be much compromise in durability because it seems to perform okay in scratch/drop tests. All other phones look like the actual display is "behind" something, while with the iPhone it's right there.

That said, the screen is still too small for my tastes. Somehow it barely feels any larger than the 4S. A 4.5"+ retina display would probably be pretty amazing.

The screen on my HTC One X is fantastic, 4.7 inch, higher resolution than the iPhone (can actually play HD video at 720p which the iPhone cant), bigger screen and checking it out side by side with an iPhone it looks great.. That's even with the cheap screen protector on my phone. And it never feels bulky or a pain to carry round. I forgot about the size until I put it next to an iPhone...

Battery life is also great. I have sometimes forgotten to plug it in at night and it has lasted until the following evening with reasonable, use.

Flint Ironstag:The screen on my HTC One X is fantastic, 4.7 inch, higher resolution than the iPhone (can actually play HD video at 720p which the iPhone cant), bigger screen and checking it out side by side with an iPhone it looks great.. That's even with the cheap screen protector on my phone. And it never feels bulky or a pain to carry round. I forgot about the size until I put it next to an iPhone...

I have actually never used a One X or S, but I have heard that it too has that close-to-the-surface quality, so I'll have to check it out.

Yankees Team Gynecologist:Flint Ironstag: The screen on my HTC One X is fantastic, 4.7 inch, higher resolution than the iPhone (can actually play HD video at 720p which the iPhone cant), bigger screen and checking it out side by side with an iPhone it looks great.. That's even with the cheap screen protector on my phone. And it never feels bulky or a pain to carry round. I forgot about the size until I put it next to an iPhone...

I have actually never used a One X or S, but I have heard that it too has that close-to-the-surface quality, so I'll have to check it out.

They're perfectly good phones, and if I didn't get an S3 I would have gotten the One X.

Big Ramifications:However, in terms of TOTAL DERP FOR ONE COMMENT, pute kisses like a man's reply to Mitch Taylor's Bro is without peer:

>>Mitch Taylor's Bro:1. The nature of technology means that even if your gadget is "the best" when you bought it, it will soon be second-best, then third-best, etc., ad infinitum.2. Your last sentence implies that companies copy what sells. But if people "want their gadgets to be the best," they how would a crappy gadget maker get rewarded?3. Your shift key is broken.

>pute kisses like a man: really? did I piss on your favorite product? I don't give a fark about either product. add some subjectivity to the notion of 'best' and i think your first two problems will be solved. regarding your third one, so sorry.

thanks, I'll be here all week.

I'm sure that there was a context within which my comment may have made sense. someone else said something about corporatism as a religion in america, and I thought that was nonsense. It began as a argument to suggest that people may applaud a company's products without devolving into 'corporatism', i suggested that it is more likely that someone applauds a company because they like its product as opposed to the notion that a person likes a product because they have been indoctrinated to love that corporation. I doubt that I had said anything revolutionary, though it was attacked with some vitriol. So, I assumed I had accidentally struck some chord. it may have been an inaccurate assumption, but without that assumption, the response was just madness.

emocomputerjock:They're perfectly good phones, and if I didn't get an S3 I would have gotten the One X.

I know--all these phones are great, and they all have great screens. I was specifically talking about one aspect of the screen, which is how close the pixels are to the surface (closer means it looks more like print). In my experience the iPhone stands out in this regard, although I have heard the HTC One does too I just haven't used one yet. I have used the S3, and while it is an amazing phone overall (I'd get it over the iPhone) I think the Retina Display beats it handily in just that close-to-the-surface regard.

SVenus:Flint Ironstag: Especially when the "cheap knock off" has better spec, more features and less restricted operation....

Biggest difference is the giant screen. Got a friend who was looking forward to getting a bigger screen on his iPhone, and while it's a great phone, the increase in size of his screen was just a tiny bit.Once you put a Otter Box on the thing, it ends up being a bit bigger than seen in the "your thumb goes from here... to there..." commercials.

The iPhone has a great and bright screen, and a great camera. So, it's not a loss. And they're painlessly easy to work.

I've learned that if you break the screen on the S3 like I did, it's twice as expensive to replace the thing as a simple cracked glass screen on the iPhone.

But at the moment, I'm lusting over the Note II, because I have big hands and(I'll say this slowly for the ladies)MY thumb goes from here... to there...